Culture Democracy Essay - 1452 Words

There may be many ways in which culture can affect political structure of one country or another, yet, arguably the most important way that a country’s culture affects democracy is through political socialization. According to Alexis de Tocqueville and his book quot;Democracyquot;, he defines culture as an ordered set of symbols, and in turn, political culture as a set of values and orientations through which one perceives and reacts to authority. The way that this set of values and orientations is gained by each person, is through the process of political socialization that begins since early childhood and produces quot;visiblequot; results as a person becomes a mature individual. While it is hard to draw a clear line of when†¦show more content†¦although most churches preach obedience to one supreme being or another, they too can produce differently socialized individuals that can range from religious fanatics to liberal individuals that are willing to fend for themselves and not be skewed by the views of the majority. Enlightenment of a person plays a key role in his personal freedom. Jeremy Bentham once said that quot;the liberated intelligence is sufficient basis for political order and progress.quot; Same can be said about democracy. Better education gives way to independent thought that is likely to perpetuate natural ways of living that ultimately lead to freedom of choice and action, i.e. democracy. This must not be confused with anarchy, where no government of any sort is recognized. Anarchy leads to chaos, which is an unnatural way of life for a person. This can be proven by observing self and others. Generally people look for patterns in life. They may eat like foods and dress alike from day to day depending on their activities. They may also sit in same places and visit same locations as their life goes by. All this is due to a common goal of extracting the most out of one’s position, thus, things that offer the greatest amount of utility are selected most often over the ones that don’t. While, at first sight, anarchy may offer the greatest amount of freedom, subsequently it destroys many of the favorable choices for an individual by virtue of being chaotic and becomes unnaturalShow MoreRelatedDemocracy and Political Culture in Bangladesh.5176 Words   |  21 PagesIntroduction 2 Democracy: Concept 2 Basic Principles or Requisites of Democracy: 3 1. Liberty: 3 2. Equality: 3 3. Fraternity: 3 4. The people as ultimate source of sovereignty: 3 5. Fundamental rights to the people: 4 6. Independence of Judiciary: 4 7. The people are considered as an end and State as the means in a democracy: 4 Politics: 4 Political Democracy: 4 Objectives of the study: 6 a) Broad objectives 6 b) Specific objectives: 6 Political Democracy in Bangladesh:Read MoreHow Does the Presence of a Confucian Culture Affect the Operation of Democracy?1083 Words   |  5 Pagesand avocated â€Å"Asian Values†. Asian values refers to the strong traditional cultural values such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism which co-exists in East Asian societies. The purpose of this essay is to explore Confucian culture and how it may affect the operation of democracy in East Asia. Confucianism is tradition of political and social thought named after the scholar Kongzi (Confucius 551-479 B.C), it is still widely practiced/ seen in social, legal, theological, ethical and political thoughtRead MoreAmerican Political Culture And Its Representation Of Democracy, Equality, Individualism, And Liberty1485 Words   |  6 Pages American political culture is altogether vast and diversified; however, it retains one singular feature – it is a contradiction. At the core, the majority ideally has subscribed to the values of democracy, equality, individualism, and liberty. Even so, history attests to the fact that bona fide enforcement of such values is not consistent. The nation has simultaneously promoted equality while it denied equality. It has exercised open-mindedness toward other cultures while it rejected aspectsRead MoreTo Know About France, and Its History, Culture, French People and Democracy in France5199 Words   |  21 PagesTo know about France and its history, culture, French people and democracy in France ? Introduction France is a powerful democratic country in the world. Every French citizen in France over 18 years old has the right to vote. Freedom of expression is enshrined in law, people are free to gather for any reasons. the French people do strikes very often for their rights and freedom, the strikes in France are common and popular among the world, and French people are free to join any politicalRead MoreEssay on Is Democracy Sustainable in Latin America?1274 Words   |  6 PagesIs Democracy Sustainable in Latin America? In order to determine if democracy is sustainable in Latin America, it is important to understand or at least have an idea of what democracy is. There are several types of democracy and each is different. According to the English dictionary, democracy is â€Å" a government by the people; especially: rule of the majority by a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by themRead MoreEssay Analysis Of Democracy As A Universal Value By Amartya Sen1513 Words   |  7 PagesIn his article, Democracy as a Universal Value, Amartya Sen asserts that democracy is a universal value. In order to develop his argument Sen needs to state his definition of democracy and define what he means by universal value. In the course of Sens argument he gives his view of the relationship between democracy and the economy. He then defends his view of democracy as a universal value against a main argument that deals with cultural differences between regions. Amartya Sen uses a maximumRead MoreThe Challenge For Property Qualifications For Voting907 Words   |  4 PagesOne basis of political democracy in this period was the challenge to property qualifications for voting. It began in the American Revolution but culminated in the early nineteenth century. After the Revolution, no new state required property ownership to vote, and in older states, constitutional conventions in the 1820s and 1830s abolished property qualifications, partly because the growing number of wage earners who did not own much property demanded the vote. In the South, however, where largeRead MoreThe Political System Of The United States1053 Words   |  5 PagesRoger Darlington has said that the United States is the most powerful nation on earth; politically, economically and militarily(1). Even though the U.S. is the second largest democracy in the world, India being the first, it is considered rare, compared to other systems in the world. Where did the founders of the U.S. get their ideas for the political system we have today? The U.S. political system is made up of many components and there are several factors the contributed to what the U.S. politicalRead MoreThe changing of Democracy Essay1124 Words   |  5 Pageshave progressed and cultures have evolved, the ideas of government and democracy have evolved as well. The economic and cultural status of a time period affects how people perceive their government. Living in a capitalist nation does not necessarily mean that democracy is non-existent. However, it does not mean that democracy in the nation has been fully formed and developed. The capitalist economy is altering the beliefs of what it means to be a democratic nation. Democracy gives power to the peopleRead MoreThe Good Society By Alan Draper And Ansil Ramsay1206 Words   |  5 Pagesis the best government possible, but those many grew up in a society that praises democracy, instead of one that praised monarchs or the military. They grew up in a democracy so naturally they would believe a democracy is the best. They were nurtured to believe in such a way. Nanda, however, differed the most from all the rest. Nanda believed that there really was no one size fits all definition. He believed cultures and what is popular during the time period changed the definition so drastically